Lessons from the Dark Arts – Part II : The Hustler

This is Part -II of a two part series. See here for Part-I Source: Turquoise Branding

The Hustler

“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle”

- Abraham Lincoln

The Hustler

There is a reason why legendary Hustlers are so successful. Few know and recognize their true nature. They would rather be known as Entrepreneurs, Moguls, Billionaires and Creative Geniuses. Because the word ‘Hustler’ has come to have too many negative connotations, they stay away from using that title for themselves. But they are all masters in the art of hustling.

These Master Hustlers were not born with this mindset. Most of them had to go through terrible circumstances which forced them to adapt. Not doing so would have led to their extinction. The will to survive can be a powerful force in transforming individuals. They used this force to navigate their way to power, money and freedom.

Which begs the question. What exactly is hustling?

Lesson 2: Fearlessness – The Key to Power

You are a Hustler when you stop accepting other people’s definition of how you should lead your life. You are not afraid of claiming your place in the world without waiting for it to be handed down to you. You are always on the move, looking at unconventional angles and methods to push yourself to the limits. Suffice to say, you’re a hustler when you are Supremely Confident and Fearless.

50 Cent

Those of you who have read The 50th Law will know the importance of conquering fear. This trait enabled the transformation of Curtis Jackson (a.k.a. 50 Cent) from a ghetto street kid selling drugs to legendary Rapper and Businessman extraordinaire.

But fear being such a primal emotion is difficult to conquer. So how does one become fearless? The answer lies in having a killer instinct and going for the jugular. This instinct is the art of knowing the time and place to attack . This is what gives rise to fearlessness. And you need to start following these steps to be on your way as a fearless hustler.

a) Tap into the Power of Realism

The world we live in takes great pleasure in masking its true intent. Everyone tries to conceal information to gain that extra edge. You need to recognize this and stare this farce in the eye. Once you become aware that most things are not what they seem and the real opportunities reveal themselves once you uncover the facade, you will gain tremendous strength in dealing with situations.

Consider the example of Jay Z. Winner of 14 Grammy awards and having a net worth over $450 million, Jay Z has had a monster of a career sniffing out trends which were grade-A bullshit. Back in 2009, the hottest trend in Hip-Hop was auto-tune. This basically meant using a device to alter pitch in vocals and instruments to produce perfectly tuned songs. A lot of rappers were making tons of money using this technique and it looked as if the hip-hop industry had their new style of working.

Jay Z

Jay Z, who was a master hustler throughout his life, smelled this rat a mile away. The trend reeked of a fad which could not sustain itself. Because it had no originality, it made everyone else sound the same. So after careful contemplation, he decided to go for the kill. When the auto-tune frenzy was at its peak, he launched his big single – D.O.A (Death of Autotune).

It was original, noisy and off-pitch. The crowds loved it. D.O.A won the Grammy for Best Solo Rap Performance. The Autotune died a quiet death. Jay Z says in Decoded, “You cannot fake a trend that is not you. It might work for a second, but it’s a house of sand”

b) Take what you want

This lesson has been infinitely doled out to the masses. Yet they never get it. Hard work, sincerity and patience can only get you so much. If you truly want to make it big, you need to start taking matters into your own hand.

Most people love playing victims. They are happy blaming the world for their failures. What they don’t understand is that majority of people are working for their own self-interest. No one will go out of their way to help you get what you want. A Hustler uses this to his advantage.

By making sure he knows exactly what people want, he lets others know he is ready to help them achieve their goals. He uses this greed to create opportunities which help him take what he wants. This is not a form of treachery. On the contrary, this skill is highly sought after and appreciated. And the ones who become masters at taking what they want are rewarded beyond their wildest dreams.

President-Bill-Clinton

Presenting Bill Clinton Ladies and Gentlemen. Yes the rock-star People’s President. Perhaps one of the most charismatic man to ever grace a Presidency. He discovered early on that people had an amazing love for themselves. Imagine, if someone you met a year ago comes to a party. He is able to recount details of not just your name, but an obscure hobby that you had mentioned offhand. What would be your reaction? Wouldn’t you absolutely fall in love and be in total awe of him?

Clinton used this by mastering a system which helped him connect with people on an intimate level. He had a habit of making cue cards of important contacts and their habits, hobbies and other little details which helped him dazzle them. He was hustling all the time, making use of his talents to charm people and trusting him to be their leader. And the rest, as they say is history.

c) Intense Curiosity

Some of the most successful hustlers owe their success to a burning curiosity. Unless you have a hunger to know and understand what needs to be done in order to succeed, you will never make it. Intense curiosity is not just mere information gathering. It needs action. You need to hustle and find ways of gaining information which is normally not accessible by everyone. And the need to access such information helps you conquer your fears and go for the unconventional methods.

50 Cent and Jay Z went from Drug Dealers to Rap artists to Music Moguls to Entrepreneurs. This happened mainly because they learned to harness the power of curiosity. Everytime people told them their limits had been reached, they probed. They refused to believe that they had to accept someone else’s definition of how to live.

Realize one thing. You are here on this planet for a limited time. You can either let yourself be ruled by dogmas or You can conquer fear through action and hustle your way to success. Hustlers are not people who will wait till the conditions are right for action. Rather they start acting and manifest opportunities to bulldoze their way through life.

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Author

@StumbleUponLife

Blogger. Writer. Occasional Public speaker. Currently in the business of Human Resource Management.
Often branded as Crazy and Eccentric, I have always sought to push traditional boundaries and live life to the fullest.
Areas which fascinate me include Philosophy, Human and Organizational Psychology, Literature, Food, Common Sense and Mindfulness.